In a recent interview, Dave Nostrand, Marriott International’s vice president of sales for the Americas lists the key challenges facing meeting planners today:

Event planning was listed as the fifth most stressful job.

Meeting planners today are being asked to do more, and often with the same staff, or in some cases, less.

Always need to keep their finger on the pulse with the constant changes in technology and the impact of the economic and business environment.

Planners also act as the consultant and resource for their organization and have to produce exceptional meetings/events with a high return on investment, all while staying within the budget.

One interesting point that Nostrand makes is: “The biggest trend I’ve noticed is technology and how it is being used from registration, to conference apps, to surveys, and more. With the new Generation Y/Millennial attendees, there is a need for more creative and innovative meetings. Meetings need to be engaging, concise, and valuable. If not, these attendees will tune out and turn their attention to something else. ”

We are glad to contribute to that transformation with our mobile apps.